Vols. for 1994-1995 distributed to depository libraries in microfiche.

General Note:

Special "80th anniversary supplement" issue published on Aug. 12, 1994.

General Note:

Special ed. for 65th anniversary of the Panama Canal issued at end of Oct. 1979, is also a joint issue with: The News: authorized unofficial publication of the U.S. Armed Forces, Quarry Heights, Panama, and includes the text of the Panama Canal Act.

Board members meet Photo by Armando De Gracia
Panama Canal Commission Board of Directors member Jorge E. Ritter, left, talks with the newest member of the board, Markos K. Marinakis,
board members Emanuel Gonzdlez-Revilla and Fernando Cardoze, and Office of Executive Administration and Transition Coordination
Director James E. Ferrara during a break in the Board of Directors meeting, held at the Canal Administration Building on July 10.

Panama Canal Commission Board of Directors meets

The Panama Canal Commission Board of
Directors met in Panama this week for its
fourth quarterly meeting and its seventh
meeting overall for fiscal year 1996. Meetings
of each of the board's three standing commit-
tees were held on July 8 and 9, with the full
board convening at the Commission Admin-
istration Building on July 10.
The Personnel and Security Committee
was provided with the semiannual report on
Panamanian participation in key Canal occu-
pations. The committee also reviewed an
update on PCC's steps to address employee
concerns raised in the focus groups estab-
lished by a consultant during Phase I of the
Productivity Incentive Bonus System study.
ChiefFinancial OfficerNorbertE. Kraegel
presented the Audit Committee with the fis-
cal year 1998 operating budget, revisions to
the fiscal year 1997 budget, and a PCC pro-
posal to increase tolls. Office of Executive
Planning Director Richard Wainio presented

Administrator honored
Panama Canal Commission
Board of Directors Chairman
Joe Reeder, center, presents a
framed print of a painting by
well-known local artist Al
Sprague to Administrator
Gilberto Guardia F. and his
wife, Teresa. The print,
autographed by both U.S.
President Bill Clinton and
Panama President Ernesto
Perez Balladares, was pre-
sented in the name of the entire
board, including former
members during Guardia's
tenure as Administrator, at a
dinner hosted by Reeder at the
Administrator's residence for
the Administrator and his
wife, in recognition of many
years of service to the Canal
organization.

the fiscal year 1998 capital program. The Blue
Ribbon panel oi Panamanian engineers made
a final report on the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers infrastructure study, and Deputy
Administrator Joseph W.Cornelison reported
on actions being taken in response to the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers final report on the
Canal infrastructure study.
The Office of Public Affairs updated the
Transition Committee on the PCC project to
design and produce educational materials on
the Panama Canal for Panamanian primary
and secondary schools throughout the Re-
public of Panama. One-thousand-eight-hun-
dred sets of materials, including educational
videos, slide briefings, flip charts, general
information brochures, posters and Canal
profiles, were formally presented to Panama
Vice Minister of Education Hector Pefialba
during a recent ceremony. During its sched-
uled sessions, the committee heard presenta-
tions from three consultants on proposed

Panama Canal growth strategy studies.
Board members visited the Locomotive
Component Repair Facility (LCRF) at Pedro
Miguel Locks on July 9.
During theboard meeting on July 10, chaired
by Joe Reeder, reports were presented by
Panama Canal Commission Administrator
Gilberto Guardia F., Deputy Administrator Jo-
seph W. Comelison, Secretary John A. Mills,
Chief Financial Officer Norbert Kraegel, and
each of its three standing committees. The
board also approved the fiscal year 1998 oper-
ating and capital budgets and changes to the
fiscal year 1997 capital program, and heard a
presentation on a traffic sensitivity study.
Following presentation of a detailed analysis,
the board reviewed a recommendation by se-
nior PCC management to adjust tolls to cover
significant increased capital requirements.
Administrator Guardia reported that Ca-
nal revenue through May 31 continued to be
... continued on page 2

Photo by Armando De Gracia

New deputy general

counsel for Panama

law to join PCC staff

At its Executive Session in New Orleans
on May 29, the Panama Canal Commission
Board of Directors unanimously approved
the appointment of Judge Alvaro A. Cabal as
deputy general counsel for Panama law.
Trained in local law and licensed to practice
in the Republic ofPanama, Cabal will assume
responsibilities mainly in the area of transi-
tion planning.
Cabal earned his undergraduate and law
degree from the University of Panama. He
I I

SJudge Alvaro A. Cabal

also holds a master's degree in admiralty, or
maritime law, from Tulane University in New
Orleans.
In recommending Cabal for the new posi-
tion, Panama Canal Administrator Gilberto
Guardia F. noted that Cabal has served as the
judge of Panama's Maritime Tribunal since
June 1990. In his memorandum recommend-
ing Cabal to the board, the Administrator

... continued on page 8

Take note
The Chase Manhattan Bank N.A.,
Balboa Branch, will implement new
hours of operation on Panama Canal
Commission paydays for the benefit
of Commission employees. To better
serve Commission employee custom-
ers, the new payday hours of opera-
tion, beginning with the July 15 pay-
day, will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Personnel from the Panama Canal
Commission Orientation Service are
available at Miraflores Locks from 9
a.m. to 5 p.m. daily to provide visitors
with information on the Panama Ca-
nal. Although there are no Orienta-
tion Service employees assigned to
Gatun Locks, it is open to the public
daily from 8 a.m. to4 p.m. Group tours
to Miraflores Locks (and to Gatun
Locks when an Orientation Service
staff member is available) can be ar-
ranged by calling272-3187.

m

,-_---~- --- I -- ,,
- -- I -- -- II -I --

- ---~- ----f~-

-------~r

The Panama Canal Spillway

Friday, July 12, 1996

Board of Directors meets... continued from page 1

Canal kids featured in video

Featured youths Photo by Armando De Gracia
On the grassy banks of Miraflores Locks, Ricardo Dormoi Bourette and Ana
Alejandra Carrizo Guerrero examine a pictorial map of the Panama Canal. This
photograph appears on the cover of an educational video for elementary
schoolchildren titled "What is a Canal?" that was produced by the Graphic
Branch and features the children, who are in the age group for which the video
was especially designed. Both youngsters are Panama Canal Commission
dependents, with Ricardo the son oflvette Bourette, an electronics mechanic who
is also the director of women's affairs for the International Organization of
Masters, Mates and Pilots (IOMM&P), and Ricardo Dormoi, an audiovisual
production specialist. Ana is the daughter ofThyrza Guerrero de Dormoi, a small
craft operations supervisor and Mdximo Carrizo, a marine traffic controller.
Some 600 videos, 300 each of this one and another titled "A Quick Look at the
Panama Canal," were part of packaged sets of educational materials produced
by the Panama Canal Commission and recently presented to the Panama
Ministry ofEducation for distribution toprimary and secondary schools through-
out the Republic ofPanama. The materials also included 900 slide briefings, 300
each of three different briefings, each with 40 slides and accompanying text; 900
flip charts for schools without electricity or audiovisual capability, 300 each
corresponding to the three different slide briefings; 350,000 general information
brochures; and appropriate posters and Canal profiles.

Watching Canal video Photo by Jaime Yau
Students of the Loma Cova School in Arraijdn watch a Panama Canal Commission video, presented by
representatives of the Liaison and Public Affairs offices during a visit to their school. The visit, like that to
other west bank schools, served to teach the schoolchildren about the importance of navigational aids for
the safe transit of vessels through the Panama Canal..

ahead of the record-breaking tolls of fiscal
year 1995. He noted that the largest tonnage
increases were in crude oil and petroleum
products, with gains during the first eight
months of fiscal year 1996 of 43.3 and 18.8
percent respectively.
Reporting on Canal maintenance and im-
provements, the Administrator outlined sig-
nificant procurements, including a multi-year
solicitation to buy seven tugboats over sev-
eral years. Cutoff for proposals was on July 8.
Award is expected by month's end, and notice
to proceed with the first three tugboats to be
issued by October 1.
Guardiareported that onMay 31, theVolpe
Center presented its final report on the Canal's
vessel traffic management system, noting that
it is being reviewed, and detailed cost esti-
mates are being obtained.
In keeping with the Board's approval in
January of an accelerated capital program, the
Administrator reported that a Commission
team of planners, procurement and engineer-
ing specialists would oversee acquisition of
28 new towing locomotives and design a
detailed implementation plan. Administrator
Guardia reported that four interested manu-
facturers visited the Canal, with most indicat-
ing they could design and build six prototype
locomotives for testing at the Canal in 1999
and could deliver production units starting in
the year 2000 at a rate of one or two units per
month. The Request for Proposals should be
issued by October 1996 and a contract awarded
bymid-1997.
The Administrator also reported on devel-
opmentofaCanal capacity model, the floating
crane Titan, the accelerated Gaillard Cut wid-
ening program, Panamanian participation in
the work force, labor-management relations,
Canal customer feedback on the single-lane
outages for high priority maintenance and
repairs at all three locks complexes, and the
retirement of plant property.
Progress on the Milestone Plan was the
central theme of the deputy administrator's
report. He reported holding meetings during
June with directors of bureaus and indepen-

Rural Panamanian students learn

about Panama Canal operations

By Tanya de la Guardia

On June 25, the Panama Canal Commission completed the second phase
of a program to educate students in rural communities on the west side of the
Panama Canal about the importance of community involvement in protecting
Canal equipment and installations against theft.
Through the joint participation by representatives from the Commission's
Liaison and Public Affairs offices, approximately 4,500 students were briefed
on the history and operation of the Canal and the importance of navigational
aids to the waterway.
The Commission representatives presented the information to the school-
children through presentations at their schools. To capture the children's
attention, they used posters, such as one titled "The Canal is Yours, Take Care
of It," and videos, including the documentaries, "The Piragua," "What is a
Canal?" and 'The Lighted Channel," a video which emphasizes the impor-
tance of the navigational aids that allow pilots to guide ships safely through
the Panama Canal.
The theft prevention campaign began in 1990 through a policing effort. At
that time, Canal Protection Division security guards and Panama Canal Area
Police members began conductingjoint water and land patrols, which reduced
incidents of theft tremendously by 1994. Then, in 1995, the Liaison Office
began conducting briefings for schoolchildren in the area, anticipating that
the children would learn to care for and protect property that will be transferred
to the Republic of Panama on December 31, 1999.
'Thefts of Canal property have been reduced considerably since the
educational program began last year," explains Liaison Officer Jos6 J. Tufi6n,
who coordinates the program in collaboration with the Panama Ministry of
Education and Panama Canal Area police authorities.
"Young Panamanians are eager to learn about the Panama Canal," he says.
"We could stay at their schools all day long answering their questions."
Tufi6n hopes the program will instill in Panamanian schoolchildren pride
in the Panama Canal. He hopes they will look on it as an asset that needs
protecting so that it may bring many future benefits to their country.

Page 2

dent units to review Milestone Plan progress
and addressed contracts related to milestone
tasks.
Cornelison also reported on other transi-
tion-related activities, including the presenta-
tion of the succession planning program to
top management, items to be included in the
Commission's 1997 legislative package for the
U.S. Congress, an Office of Public Affairs
effort to encourage local newspapers to pub-
lish more articles and photographs about the
Panama Canal, assistance being provided to
Panamanian lawmakers to help them prepare
for the upcoming discussions on the organic
law that will govern the new Panama Canal
Authority, and other issues.
Secretary Mills reported on the confirma-
tion by theU.S. Senate ofMarkos K. Marinakis
of New York as a member of the PanamaCanal
Commission Board of Directors, noting that he
began his service at the Board's executive
session in May. Regarding the status of U.S.
President Bill Clinton's nomination of Alberto
Alemn ZubietaasPanamaCanalCommission
Administrator, Mills reported that expeditious
treatment of his confirmation has been re-
quested. The Secretary also reported on the
fiscal year 1997 Authorization Bill and fiscal
year 1997 appropriations.
ChiefFinancial OfficerKraegel reported on
the operating results for the first eight months
of fiscal year 1996, noting that the Commission
recorded $28.7 million in net operating rev-
enues, compared to the budget forecast of
$17.7 million, attributing the variation to the
increase in tolls revenuefortheperiod. Kraegel
also reported that, this month, the Commis-
sion will initiate a major upgrade of its IBM
computer configurations to simplify and in-
crease its processing capacity.
Following the board meeting, Chairman
Reederand Administrator Guardiaheld apress
conference with local and international media
representatives concerning the proposed tolls
increase and on ongoing Commission efforts
to effect an efficient transition and a smooth
transfer of the Panama Canal to Panamanian
stewardship on December 31, 1999.

Friday. July 12, 1996

The Panama Canal Spillway

Atlantic-sider honored

on completing 40 years

Panama Canal service

ByAdrianneHolmes

Congratulations are in order for Panama
Canal Commission employee Fitzgerald
Burnham, who was presented with a Career
Service Award during a ceremony in the Ad-
ministration Building Board Room on June 25,
1996, forcompleting 40 years of Canal service.
Administrator Gilberto Guardia F. pre-
sented the award to Burnham, who began
his career with the Panama Canal in Decem-
ber 1955, when he was hired on a temporary
basis with the Supply-Commissary Whole-
sale Division, Supply and Community Ser-
vices Bureau. Following several subse-
quent temporary appointments, he gained a
permanent position in the same bureau in
1959 and eventually rose to the position of
assistant manager of the former Rainbow
City Commissary. In 1979, Burnham was
transferred to the Maintenance Division,
where he was assigned to the Northern
District as a tools and parts attendant. He
has been working there ever since.
Throughout his years of working for the
Panama Canal, Burnham has been presented
with four Outstanding Performance Awards,
and two SuperiorPerformanceAwards, recog-
nizing him for his professionalism and dedica-
tion to duty. Burnham says, "These awards
prove that my workmanship is appreciated,
and that I am doing a satisfactory job for the
Panama Canal Commission."
Carlina Green, one of Burnham's co-
workers, says, "I especially admire his calm-
ness, in all situations. He never gets too
stressed out and is always at ease."
His supervisor Ernesto Morales says of

Honoring 40 years Photo by Armando De Gracia
Administrator Gilberto Guardia F. presents acting Maintenance Division budget officer Fitzgerald Burnham with a 40-year Career
Service Award, as Maintenance Division Chief Enrique Sanchez joins in with a round of applause.

Burnham, "He is a very dependable, efficient
worker, who is always willing to cooperate
with others and stay past regular working
hours in order to finish a job."
These compliments are likely a direct
result ofBurnham's work theory. He says,
"I make myself comfortable in my position
and enjoy a good relationship with my co-
Sworkers and supervisor."
SCurrently acting in the position of budget

officer, Burnham says he's thinking about
retirement but hasn't decided on a date. He
reports that his father, whose name was also
Fitzgerald Burnham, worked for the Panama
Canal in the former Terminals Division for 42
or 43 years. He says he once told his dad he
could never imagine working for so many
years, to which he says his fatherreplied, "You
might think so, but you might be surprised to
see that the years keep moving along."

In his 40 years of serving the Panama
Canal, Burnham, like his fatherbeforehim, has
seen many changes. With the Panama Canal
currently marching toward the biggest change
in its history, the transfer of the waterway to
Panamanian stewardship at the end of the
century, he offers some sound advice. He
says, "It is important to adapt to the changes
in your environment and learn as much as you
can about these changes."

Stress management classes help employees face changes

By Yira A.Flores Development Branch, the sessions provided
participants with several tools and tech-
The first two classes niques to help alleviate anxiety over change,
on how to manage stress to cope with change and to maintain high
that may be experienced through the uncer- morale and productivity.
tainties inherent in the ongoing transition of The classes were presented by local
the Panama Canal to Panamanian steward- psychologist Maria Eugenia P6rez de
shipwereheldatthePanamaCanalCommis- Alemin, a professor of Psychology and
sion Training Center at the end of last month. Family Orientation at Panama's Universidad
Organized by the Occupational Health Divi- Santa Maria La Antigua with private prac-
sion and the Employee and Management tice experience in stress management. She

has also taught local U.S. military base civil-
ian employees, providing them with the skills
to cope with the consequences of the ongo-
ing drawdown, which could lead to job losses
or, in the event of a job transfer, might
include commuting across the Isthmus.
The "Transitional Stress Management"
classes included tips on identifying stres-
sors, information as to the psychological
and physical effects of stress, means of
reducing its undesirable effects, instruction

in relaxation techniques, goal-setting strat-
egies, and techniques to stop negative
thoughts, which prevent individuals from
searching for solutions and alternatives to
problems.
The next classes are scheduled for July
8 and 9 in English and on July 17 and 18 in
Spanish. According to Occupational Health
Division Employee Assistance Branch Chief
Barbara Ledezma, additional classes will be
offered, based on the number of employees
interested in attending.
Participants in all sessions will be invited
to join support groups to discuss mutual
concerns and implement the techniques learned
at the classes. Administrative leave will be
granted for the first support group meeting,
while participation in subsequent meetings
will be charged to annual leave if conducted
during work hours. Those who join a support
group may negotiate the schedule of follow-
up sessions but will be asked to make a com-
mitment to attend all 12 sessions. A psycholo-
gist will be on hand to facilitate the first of the
support group meetings.
Additional classes will be announced in
the Official Training Bulletin.

Stress-management techniques
During a recent stress management
class, Psychologist Maria Eugenia
Perez de Alemdn, standing, explains to
accounting technicians Myrna de la
Guardia and Anna Mae Peralta and
accountant Iris Lorentz how to distin-
guish the best stress-management
techniques. Class members were also
taught the importance of maintaining
an assertive attitude while facing a
difficult situation.

. Phjo .by. Jailne. iYa

Page 3

------- --

The Panama Canal Spillway

Friday, July 12, 1996

Young Hawaiian nears end of around-the-world voyage

By Rocio Grimaldo

Sailing the oceans on a 26-foot yacht,
20-year-old Brian Caldwell Jr., a native of
Hawaii, is attempting to become the young-
est person to sail alone around the world.
Caldwell arrived in Cristobal last week and
transited the Canal, completing another
milestone in his journey, which began in
Hawaii and will end there in the next few
months.
During an interview at Balboa Yacht
Club, Caldwell explained the meaning of
his yacht's name, Mai (Miti) Vavau. The
name combines Maimiti, the name of
Fletcher Christian's Tahitian wife in the
famous sea story, "Mutiny on the Bounty,"
with the Tahitian words, "miti vavau,"
meaning "waves from a distant storm." In
"Mutiny on the Bounty," Fletcher Chris-
tian lets nothing tear him away from the
South Pacific. Caldwell says that for him,
the combined words mean, "The end jus-
tifies the means, and nothing will stand in
the way of my dreams."
The seeds for Caldwell's dream were
planted when he was nine years old. That's
when his parents, sailors themselves, took
him to the South Pacific with the intention
of circumnavigating the globe as a family.

.. nothing will
stand in the way of
my dreams."

However, they ended up enjoying the
South Pacific so much, they remained there
for six years, until they finally needed to
return to Hawaii to work.
Back in Hawaii, at age 15, Caldwell
began turning his parents' dream of cir-
cumnavigating the earth into a personal
reality, but it took him four years to pre-
pare for the trip and find sponsors to help
fund his voyage. He says, "Sailing around

the world is the easy part. Putting it (the
trip) together was very difficult."
He hopes to complete the journey
before December 17, his 21st birthday,
but says, "The record doesn't mean that
much to me." What does matter, he says,
"is being out there where I belong, at
sea."
Caldwell says he has always counted
on his parents' support and that they
give it to him 110 percent. He smiles when
he says, "It helps that they're sailors."
They stay .in touch by telephone or via
radio, when he's in range. Back in Hawaii,
his mom handles the publicity about his
progress.
So, what is life like on a small boat?
Although the Mai (Miti) Vavau has a
one-burner stove, Caldwell doesn't do
much cooking. He says, "I stick to cans."
As for baths, he takes a saltwater
bucket shower every day. He says that

while he was at the Panama Canal Yacht
Club in Cristobal, he took his first fresh-
water shower in eight months. "I didn't
know what to make of it," he says, "I
stayed in there a long time, just enjoying
the water."
Working on a book about his trip,
Caldwell does all his writing at sea. He's
written a couple hundred pages and hopes
to finish the manuscript before he returns
to Hawaii.
During his travels, Caldwell met a
young Korean sailor, who is attempting to
be the first Korean to sail around the world
. Hawaii is the final destination for both,
and Caldwell says, "We've been infor-
mally racing."
At the Canal, the pair helped one an-
other by transiting first on the Korean
yacht and then on Caldwell's, serving as
each other's linehandler. Caldwell ex-
pressed his appreciation for the Canal,

saying "I'm sure it's much easier than
rounding Cape Horn."
His two most scary moments, he says,
were in the Indian Ocean, where his little
boat rolled over, and near Durban, South
Africa, where the Mai (Miti) Vavau was
nearly run down by a supertanker. It also
took four attempts before he was able to
get around South Africa's Cape of Good
Hope.
Although he is armed with safety equip-
ment, including a radio and an inflatable
life raft, Caldwell says he knows that in an
emergency, help would be along way off.
Eager to get under sail again, Caldwell
left Panama this week and headed to the
Galapagos Islands. Then, it will be on to
Hawaii and home, but he doesn't plan to
stay there long. Admitting that he prefers
sailing to being on land, he says he plans
to begin right away seeking sponsors for
yet another trip.

Around-the-world sailor Photo by Joe Zornes
Brian Caldwell, attempting to be the youngest person to sail around the world single handedly, poses alongside
his 26-foot yacht "Mai (Miti) Vavau" at the Balboa Yacht Club during a brief break from his voyage.

Page 4

Route of the "Mai (Miti) Vavau"

0 VANUA1. 1995
HAWAII

S VANUATU

Fire readiness residents' job

Information for the following article was submitted by
Occupational Safety and Health Specialist Clark
Brandenburg to highlight the importance of making sure
employees and theirfamilies are prepared in the event of afire
in the home.

Many homes have equipment that can be used to protect
the home and its inhabitants in case of fire. However, for this
equipment to be of use, it must be kept in good operating
condition. The following recommendations will help you
achieve the task.
Residents are responsible for maintaining fire extinguish-
ers in good operating condition. Extinguishers must be checked
every month, and if they are not working properly, they should
be replaced or checked by professionals. Residents of Panama
Canal Commission quarters may take faulty or used extinguish-
ers to the Housing Office (272-3384) for replacement.
Smoke detectors are usually mounted on the ceiling. Those
powered by 110-volt electric current are operating properly if
a red light blinks on and off, while battery-powered detectors
will make intermittent chirps if the batteries become weak.
Residents of Panama Canal Commission housing may report
faulty detectors to the Housing Office.
Many homes have iron security grills installed over win-
dows. If the grills have been installed correctly, each bedroom
should have at least one that is hinged to allow an escape route
in case of fire. Such grills should be checked periodically to
make sure they move freely. Maintenance usually includes
only a few drops of oil once or twice a year. Commission
housing residents may call the Housing Office for assistance
or other repairs. Furniture should neverobstruct a grill through
which escape might be sought.

Friday, July 12, 1996

The Panama Canal Spillway

Canal history...

Gatun Dam buries

old Gatun village on

Chagres River flats

The following article, taken from The
Canal Record of December 6, 1911, tells
about the settlements that would be covered
by water with the forming of Gatun Lake
following the construction of Gatun Dam.
The article provides an interesting look at
the history of the Panama Canal area and
into life on the Isthmus during Canal con-
struction days. Because of its length, the
article will be published in five parts.

Part 3

Here, the author begins to describe the
individual villages that would be destroyed
with the formation of Gatun Lake, begin-
ning with the village of Gatun.

The old village of Gatun, which lay on
the river flats below the present town was
abandoned in 1908, and the site is now
covered by 80 feet of rock and earth under
Gatun Dam. At the time it was abandoned,
the village contained a church, priest's
house, school, a dozen small shops, and
ninety or more small houses of all descrip-
tions, from the bamboo hut with palm thatch
to the typical sheet iron roof shanty. Most
of the buildings were moved to the new
townsite, now known as New Gatun. The
railroad line also ran through the dam site
and as soon as the present line into Gatun
was opened, this likewise was abandoned,
and the station building was razed. By the
middle of 1909 the last vestiges of the old
village had disappeared before the en-
croaching work on the dam.
The antiquity of the place is uncertain,
because none of its buildings were of ma-
sonry. In his narrative of the pirate
Morgan's march to Panama in August,
1670, Esquemeling says "The first day they
sailed only six leagues, and came to a place
called De Los Bracos. Here a party of his
men went ashore, only to sleep, and stretch

Chagres River closes
On August 10, 1907, a curtain of dirt spills from a railroad car, positioned on a trestle stretching across the Chagres River at the early
townsite of Gatun, adding to an already growing earthen mound that will close the river at the approximate location of the Gatun Spillway

Dam and Gatun Locks.

their limbs, being almost crippled with ly-
ing too much crowded in the boats. Having
rested awhile, they went abroad to seek
victuals in the neighboring plantation; but
they could find none, the Spaniards being
fled, and carrying with them all they had."
The location on the river corresponds
to that of Gatun, for six Spanish leagues
equal about nine miles, and even if the
situation of De Los Bracos is not identical
with old Gatun the narrative indicates that
the region thereabouts was somewhat
settled. It is also known that the Spaniards
had erected a fort on a hill 120 feet above
the river, overlooking the town, which was

probably one of the outposts they had
established at various points along the
isthmian trade routes. Evidences of the old
fort Are found today, and the site is shown
on the original land map made for the Panama
railroad in 1855. At that time the village had
about on hundred buildings of all kinds.
Writing of it in 1861 Otis (F.N. Otis, in his
"Handbook of the Panama Railroad") says
it was a village composed of forty or fifty
huts of cane and palm. In the early days of
the California immigration it was the first
stopping place in the canoe journey up the
Chagres, where "bongo-loads of California
travelers used to stop for refreshments on

their way up the river, and where eggs sold
four for a dollar, and the rent for a hammock
was two dollars a night."
In 1881 the French chose Gatun as the
site for one of the canal residencies, erected
machine shops there and built a number of
quarters for laborers, calling the new sec-
tion, "Cite de Lesseps." This continued as
a center of the work of excavation until 1888
when all operations ceased, not to be re-
sumed here until 1904.
When the Americans arrived in 1904,
Gatun was the center of a comparatively
large river trade. Bananas and other pro-
duce from the Gatun, Trinidad and Chagres
rivers were brought there for transhipment
by rail, and for sale. Once a week a shipment
of from seven to nine carloads of bananas
was made, and on the shipping day, as many
as a hundred canoes would tie up at Gatun.

(To be continued.)

Old Gatun depot
Rairoad passengers make themselves
comfortable any way possible, sitting on
rail carts, sitting with legs dangling
over the edge of the depot porch, even by
sitting on the railroad tracks them-
selves, in this 1906 photo of the train
station located at the original townsite
of Gatun.
.,THE PANAMA CANAL
kc Spillway
GILBERTO GUARDIA F.
Administrator. Panama Canal Commission
JOSEPH W. CORNELISON
Deputy Administrator
WILLIE K. FRIAR
Director of Public Affairs
FRANKLIN D. CASTRELLON
Associate Director
JANET G. LEN-RIOS
Associate Director
SUSAN K. STABLER
Acting Editor
The Panama Canal Spillway is an official biweekly publication of
the Panama Canal Commission. Articles may be reprinted without
further permission by crediting the source. All material should be
submitted by 11:45 a.m. Thursday of the week before publication or
by 11:45 a.m. Wednesday if there is a holiday during the week of
publication. Subscriptions for 52 issues are $6 by regular mail, $4 by
regular mail for students and $19 by airmail. Checks or money
orders should be payable to the Panama Canal Commission. Call
272-3202 for further information or write the Office of Public Affairs,
Panama Canal Commission. Unit 2300, APO AA 34011-2300 or
Balboa Heights, Panama.

Page 5

The Panama Canal Spillway

Friday,.July: 12,,1996

Canal Services Division linehandlers get special training

By Tanya de la Guardia

Among the first Panama Canal Commis-
sion employees who make boarding contact
with transiting ships arriving at the Panama
Canal are the Canal Services Division
linehandlers. Because the way they do their
job and the impression they make on vessel
crews is so important to the Canal agency,
all 800 of these employees are participating in
a series of four training courses created espe-
cially for them.
"The program is a joint effort between

Canal Services Division and the Training
Center," says Supervisory Employee Devel-
opment Specialist Dimas Gonzalez while ex-
plaining that both offices participated in the
design of the program.
The program includes four sessions
taught by Training Center Employee Devel-
opment Specialists Sandra Ubben, Miriam de
Samaniego and Agustin De la Guardia. All
the instruction is in Spanish, and sessions
are presented during the linehandlers' most
available time, which is when they are at their
work site waiting to go aboard ships. Says

Ubben, "It is difficult for them to attend
classes at the Training Center."
Each session covers issues relevant to a
linehandler's job performance. In the first
session, which covers positive work atti-
tudes, linehandlers are being taught about
their responsibility to themselves and to the
Canal organization.
The second session provides informa-
tion about the missions of the organization
and the Launch/Linehandling Branch and
the role of linehanders in achieving them.
The third session strengthens one of the

Canal Services Division goals, which is for
employees to maintain good relationships
with coworkers, supervisors and Canal cus-
tomers. The final session presents informa-
tion on the Panama Canal Commission tran-
sition theme, "One Team, One Mission."
Linehandlers are taught that the success of
the Canal organization relies on team work.
The instructors go to the Launch/
Linehandling Southern District Building 43-
A, Balboa, from Monday to Friday and keep
a record of the linehandlers who attend the
sessions. New sessions begin only after all
800 linehandlers have attended the previous
one. Completing all four sessions will take
approximately a year and will include having
linehandlers rotate from Pacific to Atlantic
work sites and adjust their shifts to make it
easier for them to attend the sessions.
Linehandlers who have taken the course
say that this kind of training should be given to
them more often because it helps them improve
their work performance. Says eight-year vet-
eran Carlos Enrique Guevara, "I am part of an
agency that really cares for each employee and
how they carry out their work. The discussions
have helped me to be better, not only for the
Commission but for my country."

Linehandler training
Canal Services Division linehandlers
participate in a discussion with
Employee Development Specialist
Sandra Ubben on the role linehandlers
play in the successful operation of the
Panama Canal, noting that presenting
positive attitudes reflects on the image
that Canal customers have of the
agency.

Photo by Armando De Gracia

Tuberculosis cases on the rise

By LornaEngleman, M.D. Exposure to someone with active tuber-
culosis does not automatically result in infec-
The end of the 20th century surrounds tion or active disease. Factors such as the
many of us with new technology and innova- amount and intensity of exposure, crowded
tions that our grandparents would never have living conditions, the extent of the lung dis-
dreamed of. Unfortunately, it also presents us ease in the sick person, unprotected cough-
with the resurgence of old diseases that were ing and bacilli in the sputum all affect the
familiar to our grandparents diseases they possibility of the disease being transmitted.
thought had been controlled during their life- Another important factor is the suscepti-
times. Of these diseases, tuberculosis, con- bility of the exposed person to the mycobac-
sidered to be the oldest documented infec- teria. A healthy immune system can defend a
tious disease recorded in human history, has person from the bacilli. Ifthe bacilli manage to
reemerged in this last decade and is threaten- get into the lungs, the healthy immune system
ing to become the next major epidemic. of a person never previously exposed to TB
Tuberculosis (TB), is an infectious dis- will encase the bacilli inside a hard wall. If the
ease caused by rod-shaped bacteria (bacilli), person's immune system has previously met
called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This the bacilli and its fighter cells are healthy and
organism usually affects the lungs, but can intact, it will repel the attack by new bacilli.
also affect other parts of the body, such as Conversely, immune systems in people
the vertebra, or bones in the back, the lymph who are very young or very old may not be
nodes and the genitourinary tract. It is trans- strong enough to mount a proper defense
mitted from person to person through air- against infectious, life-threatening diseases
borne droplets of respiratory tract secretions like TB. Such people may not only become
that contain the bacilli. The droplets are infected, they may also progress easily to
produced when a person who has pulmonary getting the disease.
TB coughs, sneezes, speaks or sings. Eighty-five to 90 percent of the people
For a person to be contagious, he or she who become infected usually follow an
has to have active TB. This means that the asymptomatic course. If tested for TB, they
bacteria has to be reproducing and have a would test positive, meaning simply that
way to get to the outside environment, they have been exposed to the disease, but
For a person to get infected two things not that they have active TB or that they are
have to occur. The droplets that are pro- contagious.
duced by the infected person have to be The remaining 10 to 15 percent of people
inhaled, and the person who is inhaling them become infected go on to develop active
has to be susceptible to the bacilli. Not all TB. They will get sick, with their symptoms
droplets containing the germ cause infec- including fatigue, weight loss, fever and
tion. They have to be of the right size to reach night sweats, along with aproductive cough
the deeper areas of the lungs. and abnormal findings in the chest x-ray.

The sputum from their cough also will con-
tain tuberculosis bacilli.
For people with active TB, there are sev-
eral treatment regimens that may be prescribed
by the attending physician. Doctors will se-
lect treatment regimes best suited to the pa-
tient, taking into consideration the patient's
medical history and current medical status.
Treatment for active TB may include the
use of various combinations of antibiotics. If
a patient takes the medications as prescribed,
and there is no antibiotic resistance, the
patient becomes non-infectious in a matter of
weeks, thus reducing the period during which
the patient can spread the disease. Fortu-
nately, placing patients in isolation is largely
a thing of the past.
While current medical treatments for TB

are largely successful, the reemergence of
old infectious diseases, along with the emer-
gence of new ones, is being complicated by
a phenomenon known as drug resistance.
Old diseases are reemerging because they
are becoming resistant to currently avail-
able antibiotics. As technology races to
find adequate treatments, new diseases
present an additional challenge to the medi-
cal world.
Unfortunately, both the old and new mi-
crobes can transmit among themselves resis-
tance to antibiotics. There are now bacteria
resistant to all known antibiotics. This amaz-
ing fact is posing a threat to world health and
will be a challenge with which the 20th cen-
tury ends and the 21st begins.
(See box on this page.)

Page 6

Some infectious diseases antibiotic resistant

Infectious diseases, those diseases caused by bacteria, viruses or parasites, have
been increasing in frequency in the last 20 years. During this time, at least 30 new
diseases have emerged Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and Ebola
virus, among them and old diseases, such as malaria, tuberculosis and cholera, are
making a comeback. At the same time, there have been increasing reports about the
resistance of infectious diseases to antibiotics.
Infectious diseases cause one third of the total deaths per year, worldwide. The
World Health Organization recently reported that a major cause of the increasing
resistance is "the uncontrolled and inappropriate use of antibiotic drugs." Interna-
tional travel and an increase in the human population, with subsequent deforestation
and encroachment of people on mosquito-ridden areas, have also helped spread
disease.
"Preventive," self-prescribed antibiotics are widely used throughout Latin America,
especially for minor, non-specific symptoms. This is an example of inappropriate use.
Improper administration of antibiotics promotes resistance of the bacteria in the same
way that insects become resistant to insecticides. Therefore, it is best to use antibiotics
only when required and for the time period specified by your physician.

Instructor Bob Pike of Creative Training
Techniques, based in Minneapolis, Minne-
sota, presented the two-day seminar under
contract with the Human Resources Develop-
ment Staff. The seminar included such topics
as how to choose creative methods of presen-
tation, create attention-getting devices and use
visual aids effectively. Participants were also
taught some new methods on how to motivate
adults. Pike says, "Combining these tech-
niques will benefit the individual both person-

ally and professionally and the Commission by
reducing time and stress involved in training."
He explains that the results will be faster
communication and teamwork, less conflict
and a more positive attitude in the work
place as employees overcome resistance to
change and achieve new levels of perfor-
mance. Employee Development Specialist
Miriam de Samaniego says, "The Train-the-
Trainer program will help trainers plan their
courses to be much more effective."

Historic shine restored to Locks Control House brass

By MyrnaA.Iglesias

The control board in the Miraflores Locks
Control House is taking on a new glow thanks
to tender loving care on the part of control
house operators Rodolfo Vald6s and Alfred
Graham. On their own initiative, they pur-
chased the equipment and the material needed
to remove paint and restore the original brass
sheen to several control board lock indica-
tors monitors that indicate lock chamber
water level or rising stem valve positions.
"This is an historical restoration," says
Vald6s. He explains that years ago someone
decided to paint the original brass lock
indicators. He adds, "None of us here had
seen them as they were originally made."
Control houses were built on the center
walls of the uppermost lock at each set of
locks. From there, an operator at one control
board can run every operation required for
a vessel in transit, except the movement of
the towing locomotives. Each control board
is a long, flat, waist-high bench, or counter,
upon which the locks are represented in
miniature. Everything that happens in a lock
chamber is reflected on the board in the
appropriate location and at precisely the
same moment.
The locks control boards at the three
sets of locks were furnished under a con-
tract by the General Electric Co. The
Miraflores Locks control board was com-
pleted on June 25, 1914.
Miraflores Locks Operations General
Foreman Eduardo Hevia who says he is
very pleased with the employees' initiative,
explains that they were planning to work little

Removing paint, restoring sheen Photo by Armando De Gracia
Control House operator Rodolfo Valdes removes paint from one of the Miraflores Locks
control house board indicators. The brass indicator to his right has already been cleaned
of old paint, polished and restored to its original sheen.

by little, on their own time and using theirown
money, until the whole control board was
completed. However, motivated by their
enthusiasm and initiative, the Locks Division
decided have a local contractor clean and
polish the remaining indicatorsand seal them
with a clear protective coating.

Praising the Miraflores Locks control
house operators for their interest and initia-
tive, acting Locks Division Pacific Branch
Superintendent Ivin Lasso says, "It's inter-
esting to see that, even though these controls
will be eventually replaced with new technol-
ogy, there is still interest for restoring them."

Pike, considered one of the most highly
rated speakers over the past 11 years at the
American SocietyTraining Developmentcon-
ferences, is president of Creative Training
Techniques International, Inc. His company
has trained some 65,000 trainers on five con-
tinents, including those from such presti-
gious organizations as IBM, NASA, Ameri-
can Telephone & Telegraph Co. and Hewlett
Packard. He says, "We have worked with 300
of the Fortune 500 organizations."
As for his company's mission, Pike ex-
plains, "Adult learners of today are different
from those of 25 years ago. We are living in the
entertainment era, where people have a short
attention span. During training efforts we must
make the participants feel that they are in-
volved, that the instructor is not the only one
in control, thatthey, too, arein control. Training
should become a cooperative effort, where the
energy of the participants can be felt."
Pike also says that with the changes in
technology, learning never stops and that it is
vital for trainers to make advancements in the
teaching arena. He believes that Commission
training instructors who apply the skills learned
from Creative Training Techniques will reach
an optimum level of performance.
Participants agree that throughout the two-
day seminar, the Training Center classroom
was filled with energy, with Pike'spresentation
being both compelling and entertaining. Even
during "brainstorming" sessions, say the par-
ticipants, motivational music playing in the
background kept performance at a peak level.
FireandEmergency Services DivisionTrain-
ing Officer, Capt. Marcos Avila Jr. says, "The
course will help me enhance all the techniques
applied in training by helping me change tradi-
tional ways of training and implement com-
pletely innovative ways of making presenta-
tions to motivate those involved."
Pike says in the short time he spent in
Panama, he found everyone to be "friendly,
helpful and understanding." He says he
also noticed that, "Everybody is working
hard to accomplish the tasks set forth in the
difficult transition period."
Armed with fresh new ideas and tech-
niques presented to them by Pike, Commis-
sion training instructors will. continue the
key role they play in achieving a smooth
transition towards the year 2000.

Atlantic logistical support

employees praised for

efficient job performance

Employees praised >
Atlantic Logistical Support employees, whose home base
is the Logistical Support Division Building 5086, pictured
above, pose for a group photograph after being con-
gratulated by Logistical Support Division officials on the
excellent work they are doing in the storage and distribu-
tion of over 35,000 line items for Atlantic Panama Canal
Commisson units, having achieved during May, a more
than an 87percentfill rate on orders and an average
processing time of just 3 hours and 17 minutes.
Photo by Alfredo Ryan

The Panama Canal Spillway

Friday, July 12, 1996

Personnel accepting MG-10 applications
The Personnel Operations Division will be continuously accepting applications for
the positions of electrician, MG-10; machinist, MG-10; and welder, MG-10.
A current or former employee of a U.S. federal government agency, who is holding
or has held a position at the MG-10 level on a permanent basis, may submit an Application
for Federal Employment, Standard Form 171, and a copy of the latest Notification of
Personnel Action, Standard Form 50, to the Employment and Placement Branch, Building
366, Ancon.
To be eligible for Panama Canal Commission employment, applicants will be required
to pass a craft test in the pertinent trade.

Applicants must have career or career-conditional status. To apply, submit Form 443,
Application forTransfer, by next Friday, to the Employment and PlacementBranch, Building
366, Ancon.
Persons selected for appointment to a permanent position or a testing-designated
position will be tested for illegal drug use prior to appointment or permanent position change.
For certain positions in one-grade interval series where there is no position in the normal
lineof promotion, in-service employees qualify if they possess at least one year of specialized
experience at the second-lower level of the position.
For in-service actions other than a promotions, modified qualifications will be used
whenever an applicant's background includes closely related experience providing the skills
necessary for successful performance.
Proof that applicant meets special requirements (swimming, civil driver's license, etc.)
must be filed in the Official Personnel Folder or added to Form 443.
Salaries reflect the minimum and maximum rates of pay for the grades of the advertised
positions. Selectees will be placed in the appropriate grade and step, in accordance with
regulations.
Qualifications standards may be reviewed at the Panama Canal Commission Technical
Resources Center, Building 38, Balboa.
Further information may be obtained from the Employment and Placement Branch, at 272-
3583.

SExtensive knowledge in international shipping, maritime transport and world trade is
required.
SOnly PCC employees will be considered.
3 Knowledge of real time disc operating system and comprehensive knowledge of data base
management is required.
4Knowledge of two of the following engineering disciplines: welding, civil (with specializa-
tion in structural design) and mechanical is required.

The Panama Canal Commission is an equal opportunity employer

What's happening

Intensive Spanish Classes
The "Centro Cultural Panameiio
Estadounidense" (PanUsa) will offer a four-
week intensive Spanish class, Monday through
Thursday, from4:30to6p.m. beginningJuly22.
Registration will be held on July 15 and 16 from
noon to 7 p.m.and on July 20from 9 a.m.to 1p.m.
at Building 635, Balboa. Classes, which will be
taught by native Spanish speakers, will empha-
sizeoral communication. Formoreinformation,
callPanUsa at 232-6718.
Surplus sale
The Defense Reutilization and Marketing
Office will hold a sealed bid sale on July 17
and 18 at Building 745, Corozal. Merchandise
may be inspected on those days between the
hours of 7:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. Sales catalogs
will be available at the site, and all merchan-
dise will be sold as is, where is. Minors will
not be allowed on the premises during sales
inspections or removal.

Alcoholics Anonymous
The Canal area Alcoholics Anonymous
meets from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. each Monday,
Wednesday and Friday in Building 288,
Ancon. For more information, call 272-7026
when meetings are being held.
Soccer league
The Employee Fitness Branch will spon-
sor a soccer league for Panama Canal Com-
mission employees and dependents 35 and
over. Those interested may call the Diablo
Fitness Center (272-6827) to register or to
obtain more information. Rosters may also be
submitted via facsimile (272-3615).

Seaman's Week
The Nautical School of the Republic of
Panama will celebrate the 37th Seaman Week
from July 15 to 19, with plans including a
series of conferences, exhibits and cultural
and sports activities. The general public is
invited to participate in a host of activities
from 9a.m. to 3p.m. and from 7p.m. to 9p.m.
each day, with Friday, July 19, devoted to
various sporting events.

New deputy general counsel ... continued frompage 1

said, "In that capacity, he has done much
to enhance even further the reputation of
an already prestigious court."
While serving in his present position,
Cabal has published a number of articles in
legal journals and has taught law courses at
the Universidad Santa Maria La Antigua.
He also served as an advisor to the previous
Panama government's Presidential Commit-
tee for the Drafting of the Organic Law of the
Panama Canal Authority. Guardia added
that a number of Cabal's decisions in court
have involved incidents occurring in the
Panama Canal or adjacent waters.
Guardia said in his memorandum that
these, decisions "reflect an awareness and
appreciation of the Commission's responsi-
bilities under the 1977 Canal Treaty and an
understanding of the transit function and
related activities performed by this agency."
Cabal is a charter member of the As-

sociation of Magistrates and Judges of
Panama and a member of Panama's Na-
tional Bar Association and the Maritime
Law Association. He has served as an
advisor to the Panama Institute of Mari-
time Procedural Law and is a founder and
trustee for the Association for Education
in Television (FETV). In addition, at the
request of the Catholic Church, he once
served as the legal representative of the
Emberd and Wounaan Darien Province
natives.
Cabal willjoin theGeneralCounsel'sOffice
in August. Expressing eagerness at becoming
part of the transition process by which the
Panama Canal will be turned over to the Re-
public of Panama at the end of the century,
Cabal says, "I start with a very convinced
sense of good faithon the part ofall theparties
involved. I have a lot to learn, especially from
the people I will work closest with."

Commission gears up for new electronic

mail, emerging information technologies

Management Information Systems an-
nounced in May that a Windows-based elec-
tronic mail system and other emerging key
information technologies will be implemented
throughout the Panama Canal Commission
within the next six months.
The approved software packages include
Windows 3.11 and Windows 95; Microsoft
Exchange and Schedule+ (electronic mail and
agenda); Microsoft Office for Windows 3.11,
with Word 6 (word processing), Excel 5 (elec-
tronic spreadsheet), Acces 2 (database man-
agement) and Power-Point 4 (presentations);
and Microsoft Office for Windows 95, with
Word 7 (word processing), Excel 7 (electronic
spreadsheet), Acces 7 (database manage-
ment) and Power-Point 7 (presentations).
This month, the Microcomputer Lab will
discontinue courses in DOS applications,
including training in Word Perfect, DBase,
Norton Commander and Harvard Graphics.
To meet employee learning needs for the
new systems, the Microcomputer Lab Train-
ing Services has already begun instructing
Local Area Network (LAN) and Micro Com-
puter personnel. The suspense date is July
15 for Accelarated Training For Windows
and Office 95, scheduled from 8 a.m. to4 p.m.
July 29 to August 2.
In August, six different training alterna-
tives will be available to employees, including
instructor-led courses, computer-based train-
ing, CD-ROM and video training, skill assess-
ment tests, managerial briefings and contracted
training for computer support personnel.

Schedules for instructor-led introduc-
tory courses, with each course expected to
take approximately 12 hours, will be an-
nounced in the August 1996 Training Bulle-
tin. Advanced courses will be announced in
the September 1996 Training Bulletin. Divi-
sions and independent units should inform
the Microcomputer Lab of training priorities.
For those who prefer a flexible schedule
and self-paced training, computer-based and
CD-ROM and video training in Windows
3.11, Windows 95, Word, Excel, Acces, and
Power Point will be available at the Micro-
computer Lab starting next month. Reserva-
tions may be made by calling the Microcom-
puterLab (272-7448).
Skill assessment tests will be available for
employees who have learned how to use the
Windows software ontheirown. Aftertaking
a skill assessment test, an employee may be
awarded an appropriate skill level certificate.
This may be particularly helpful for those
who would like to take advanced courses
without having to attend introductory courses.
Two-hour managerial briefings on the
uses of Windows, Office and Exchange will
be provided to managers and computer sup-
port personnel who would like to provide this
service within their own divisions or units.
In addition, the Training Center will pro-
vide five-day contracted training courses, in-
cluding Windows 95 and Office Accelerated
Training and Supporting Windows 95, for
microcomputer support personnel. To apply,
contact office automation coordinators.